Chasing his fifth Alfred Dunhill Championship title on his return from injury, Charl Schwartzel will start alongside Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Spain’s Pablo Larrazábal on Thursday.
The 2011 Masters Tournament winner will start his opening round at 7:10am from the 10th tee on Thursday alongside last season’s Andalucía Masters winner Bezuidenhout and four-time European Tour champion Larrazábal.
The 2011 Masters Champion, who admitted the injury almost prevented him from participating this week, is not aiming too high on his return.
He said: ‘I haven’t played for eight months. If I was ever going to make a comeback, it was going to be the best place for me to start.
‘I’m not 100%, as I would want to be, but I had a few good weeks practising in America, so I thought I’d come down.
‘For me, just to be able to play and walk the fairways and compete – that will be a win.
‘It [Schwartzel’s hand] was extremely sore on Thursday and I didn’t think I’d tee it up this week, but then on Sunday when I was here, it was very manageable.
‘It fluctuates. It’s a nerve, and once it gets entrapped too much, the probability of my stopping will be very high. But if I can keep it moving, I’ll hold on as long as I can.’
The 35-year-old said he is hoping to tee it up in January’s South African Open before heading to the UAE for events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The group starting at the 10th at 7:20am also contains a home favourite in the form of Branden Grace, who will have Englishmen Eddie Pepperell and Oliver Wilson for company.
Former World No 1 Ernie Els starts from the first tee at 12:20pm alongside countrymen George Coetzee and Richard Sterne.
The 2020 European Tour season gets under way this week as the only event following the postponement of the Hong Kong Open.
David Lipsky is not back at Leopard Creek Country Club to defend his title.
Photo: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
